England head coach Stuart Lancaster has conceded it is “unlikely” Mike Tindall
will play again for England.

Tindall has been named in the Barbarians squad to face England at Twickenham on May 27, his first appearance at the home of English rugby since he captained the side against Scotland in March last year.

Since then his star has waned due largely to a troubled World Cup campaign which led to a change of management regime and Lancaster’s arrival in office.

The 33 year-old has been on borrowed time ever since. Lancaster effectively confirmed that on Tuesday.

“The route that we’re going in terms of picking a group to move through to the 2015 World Cup it’s unlikely [that Mike will feature],” said Lancaster as he named a 27-man squad for that BaaBaas fixture which takes place three days before the full squad leaves for the three-Test tour of South Africa.

“Mike has not retired himself and I’m sure he’s got a lot to prove by playing at Twickenham again. It’s great that he’s playing.”

The match could even be Tindall’s last game of rugby. Gloucester have not offered him an extension on his contract and he has yet to attract firm offers from other clubs.

A move to France has been mooted but nothing has yet come of that. Certainly the Twickenham crowd are unlikely to see him in action again and despite his well-publicised bother in New Zealand, Tindall is rightly held in high regard. The laid-back ways of the Barbarians will suit him. Glasses will be raised.

Lancaster also sent out a veiled warning to wing Chris Ashton to curb his instincts for the flamboyant try-celebration that drew censure from former England manager Martin Johnson.

Ashton has been named in the Barbarians squad even though he was forced to withdraw from last weekend’s Aviva Premiership semi-final against Harlequins with a long-standing back complaint that was almost certainly made worse by his ‘Ash-Splash’ routine when scoring against Worcester the previous weekend.

“If I get the sense that people do these things to promote themselves or for selfish reasons, then I won’t be happy,” Lancaster said.

“I certainly don’t want to take the spontaneity or creativity out of Chris but with these things it’s a question of the right time and place.”

Ashton was not present at the two-day training camp that was attended by those players whose regular season has finished.

The Northampton and Saracens players have been given a week off after their semi-final defeats and will gather at Pennyhill Park next Monday to prepare for the Barbarians game ahead of departure for South Africa.

The Harlequins and Leicester contingent will join after the Premiership final on May 26. England will have a better idea as to whether Toby Flood will be fit to tour after he is assessed by the England medical team on Wednesday.

Flood pulled out of Leicester’s semi-final against Saracens with an ankle injury that has been cased in a protective boot. Lancaster intends to give him as much time as possible.

“We’ll take Toby if he’s going to be fit a few days after arrival, but if he’s not available until halfway through the tour, then I won’t take him,” said Lancaster, who has brought in Gloucester fly-half Freddie Burns, London Irish flanker Jamie Gibson, and scrum-halves Haydn Thomas, of Exeter, and Saracens’ Richard Wigglesworth just for the Barbarians.

“This Barbarians game does have more significance than usual as our next match will be the first Test against the Springboks a fortnight later,” Lancaster said.

“It’s a stepping stone, a chance for us to carry on the momentum of the Six Nations and lay a proper foundation for the tour.”